NEW METHOD OF GOLD WASHING.

Grey River Argus, Issue 153, 5 January 1867, Page 3

NEW METHOD OF GOLD WASHING.

(From the Talbot Leader.) Mr J. J. Phelps, of Talbot, has hit upon a method of extracting gold from soil, which must be accounted the most successful aud economical yet devised. By a peculiarly constructed series of works of anything but a costly- character, he is able to make dirt, which will yield six grains of gold to the load pay handsomely. Nothing like this lias ever been achieved by the most elaborate contrivances so far invented, and yet Mr Phelps has accomplished his task at an outlay of something under LSO. His works may be seen by the creek side on the road to Commercial street, and we can assure our readers that they will repay a visit. A small dam is constructed about seventy feet outside the creek, which husbands the water conveyed into it by means of a race cut from a point of the creek about four hundred yards above the works. From tins dam a moderately-sized stream flows along a shoot lif ty feet long on to a wheel seven feet in diameter, which this water drives, j and so supplies motive power to the wheels of the machinery. Connected with this wheel is a smaller one, three feet six inches in diameter, round which revolves an endless band connected with a horizontal revolving rake, which works in a semi-circular puddling machine six feet in length. It is here the stuff is thrown in, and after being well puddled by the revolving rake, it passes out at one end into a shoot, through which the water conveys the stuff to a cradle of what may be justly termed gigantic dimensions. This cradle is worked by means of a crank fastened to the opposite end of the puddling rake, so that the motive power applied by the water-wheel sets the whole of the machinery, the puddling machine, and the cradle in motion, thus avoiding any outlay here for labor. The cradle is twelve feet long by five feet three inches broad, and contains seven distinct bottoms or slides, each one from the bottom upwards being v a trifle shorter than its neighbor. The ends being fixed immediately beneath the hopper of the cradle, allow the dirt to distribute itself proportionally over all, and so the theory of a division of labor is practically secured. No quicksilver is used in tliis cradle, but in its place the bottom of slides is covered with green baize, which catches every particle of gold the stuff contains. We do not know whether our readers can understand the nature of the machinery from the description, but it is as accurate as can be produced upon paper. The practical advantages of this machine over all other contrivances yet a'x>plicd to the extraction of gold may be gathered from the fact that Mr Phelps can make stuff washed twice over iii quicksilver cradles— hitherto supposed to be the most successful method of saving gold — yield far more gold than is needed to make the Avorks pay well. All the labor employed consists of a horse, cart, and driver, to bring the dirt from Scandinavian Lead, and a boy to feed the machine, which, washes forty loads every twenty-four hours. Of the profits of the invention we are prolribited from giving particulars, but this much may be stated that there are very few persons in business in this district who would not gladly exchange their weekly profits for the return which is secured in the same time by Mr Phelps from Ins very ingeniously constructed and economical gold washing machine.